The Savior
by Daydreamr4ever
Summary: Sequel to Antics. Takes place eight years after Antics. Emma is seventeen and dreams of living somewhere other than The Jewel of the Realm. Her best friend, Killian, can't imagine a life without it. But no matter where she goes, it's only a matter of time before her destiny catches up with her. Multi-chapter, AU LD.
1. Happy Birthday, Swan

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to my story! For those of you who are new here, welcome! For those of you who know me already, you can just skip ahead. Newbies- This story is a sequel to my other AU story, Antics. This one can stand alone, but I highly recommend you check it out, because a lot happens there which affects what happens in this story.  
Just going to warn y'all now, updates will be rather staggered with this story, and I'm sorry for that, but I promise this is at the top of my priorities list. This story takes place about eight years after the end of Antics, and not much has happened since. They've just been sailing around the realms as a happy little delivery family, getting into mischief wherever they go. I have some one-shots planned for that, don't you worry.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

* * *

Emma leaned against the polished edge of the ship's railing, staring out at the ocean. The sun reflected off the restless blue waters, scattering reflective light across the waves like diamonds. It was beautiful, yes, however, she'd seen it all before. The girl sighed dejectedly, leaning her face on her cupped palm. They'd left the realm of "England" a few days ago, and already she was missing it. Not the realm itself, no. She was missing land.

Before Emma could fall any deeper into thought, a shoulder bumped hers, and she looked up to see Killian standing next to her. He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling like the very sea she'd been berating not a moment ago, but she couldn't help but smile back at her friend. He turned to look out at the vast stretch of ocean laid out before them, breathing deeply, completely at ease. "So, brooding, are we?" He asked her playfully, his eyes still on the water.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Not _brooding_. Well, not exactly. I was simply thinking."

"Thinking _about_?" He pressed.

"Nothing of importance." She said breezily, and he turned to her with raised his eyebrows.

"Alright…" She could sense his confusion- usually, she was open to him about everything. But not this. He wouldn't understand it- he loved everything about the sea and sailing. If she had to listen to him talk about wavelengths and the mystique of currents one more time, she'd throw a chair at him- _again_. "Anyway," He said, changing the subject easily. "I have something for you." With a flourish and a bow, he procured a small, red box from his pocket. It was rather thin, and about the size of his hand. The bow was simple, in gold-colored string, but it glistened and shone in the sun as though is was made of fairy dust. "Happy Birthday, Emma."

She gasped, looking from the box to Killian. "Oh, Killian."

"You didn't think I would forget your seventeenth birthday, did you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

"No, I just- Oh, I don't know." She shrugged, at a loss for words. It wasn't as though he'd never given her a gift before- of course he did- it was usually a joint gift with Liam, and typically had something to do with chocolate.

He laughed at her confusion, placing the present in her hands. "No matter, I _did_ in fact remember, and would be very happy if you opened your gift."

She smiled at him before turning her attention to the beautiful box. She carefully undid the string, and lifted the top. She breathed out an astonished sigh, and lifted the silver necklace from its resting place. The polished silver swan charm dangled from the chain, shining in the bright midday sun like a star. "Killian, I- I don't know what to say." She managed, still staring.

Her best friend shrugged. "A thank you would suffice." He suggested, and her wide, green eyes landed on him.

"Thank you." She said, her voice thick with emotion. "Now help me put this on." She commanded, snapping back to herself. Emma handed him the necklace and gathered her hair up and pulled it away from the back of her neck. Killian unclasped the chain and reached around her, leaning in so close she could smell him. He smelled like sea and cookies and _home_. She closed her eyes as she breathed in, and didn't realize he'd successfully clasped the necklace until she felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"Beautiful." He stated. She smiled down at the charm. It really was.

She straightened up, and linked arms with Killian. "Thank you, good sir. Now let's go find some food."

He laughed cheerily as she pulled him down the stairs with her, and the sound resounded in her ears. Her happy, simple life upon the Jewel of the Realm. What could she possibly be missing?

That night, her birthday was celebrated with cookies, cakes and jokes around the table. The crew, Liam, and Killian all crowded around Emma and sang happy birthday to her. The off-key, slightly drunken way they sang made her laugh in a self-conscious sort of way before she blew out the candles, and then eagerly cut into the confection. It was, of course, delicious, thanks to the wonderful cook, though she didn't get to eat too much of it- as sharing your birthday cake with a crew of burly, hungry sailors is much like sharing your birthday cake with an elephant. A normal slice for the elephant is about four times the size of a normal slice for you. Suffice to say, the cake was gone far too quickly, dishes were cleared, and finally, the little party was over.

Slowly, the sailors drifted off to their respective bunks, leaving two Joneses and a Swan at the table, their faces just barely illuminated by the flickering glow of the single remaining candle on the table.

Liam leaned forward, a content smile resting on his face. Across the table, Emma and Killian were battling for the last cookie. Killian had it in his hand, holding the treat high above both of their heads, and Emma was trying to reach it, though her arms were shorter than her counterparts'. Finally, she jumped up out of her seat and snatched the cookie clean out of his hand.

"It's hard to believe you're seventeen," Liam chuckled, and the pair jumped in surprise, as though they had forgotten he was even there. "But here you are."Emma smiled, bashful, and turned her attention to the cookie in her hands.

Killian smirked and bumped Emma with his elbow. "Yeah, you still act like you're five years old." He took the half of her cookie she was offering and chewed slowly, trying to savor the last of the treat.

Liam raised his eyebrow. "Coming from you, that doesn't mean too much." A laugh escaped from Emma's lips, and Killian stared at the both of them in mock shock, for he knew it to be true. "Now, Emma, you're far more mature than my brother here, even if you are a year younger. Happy Birthday." He slid a rolled up piece of paper that was tied with a simple bow across the scarred wooden table toward her, a hopeful smile on his face.

Emma furrowed her brow at Liam before looking back to the paper. Slowly, she undid the bow and spread it open. "It's a map." She said flatly. Honestly, she was confused and rather disappointed. All she did for her first year aboard this ship was study maps. Why was Liam giving her one now?

The captain simply grinned. "So it is. But that is not my true gift. My true gift is anywhere. Wherever you desire to go. That map covers every realm we've ever explored, every place that has been discovered. It's all there. Wherever you wish to travel, that is where we shall be."

Emma took a deep breath. "Anywhere?"

"If we can sail there. I don't have any other means of transportation. I worked out a deal with the kingdom we're delivering for next. I informed the king we would be taking a few… vacation days. And in that time, we are free to go wherever you like." Liam sounded rather pleased, and Emma looked up from the map of the vast oceans and lands to see him positively beaming.

"I… Oh, thank you, Liam!" She threw her arms around him. Taken aback, the older man paused for a minute before wrapping his arms around the girl. The rare gesture of a hug from Emma was a rather meaningful one, and Emma knew this as she pulled away. "Oh, goodness, where to go?" She whispered, looking back at the map. "Could I think about it tonight, and then decide tomorrow?" She asked, suddenly anxious. Such an important decision to make- surely she couldn't be expected to make in on a moment's notice. Liam nodded amicably, as though he'd completely expected this.

"Of course. Good night, Emma."

"Night, Liam. C'mon, Killian!" She grabbed her best friend's hand and practically dragged the sleepy boy out of the room, chattering excitedly about all the places they could visit, which kingdoms had the best dragons versus which towns had the best swordsmiths (she loved swords). Killian nodded, though he was so tired, he was only half listening.

"… But the fire-breathers are the best, aren't they?" Emma finished as they reached their door.

Killian blinked before he realized she was addressing him. "Oh, yeah. Abso-" He cut himself off with an involuntary yawn. "Sorry, Emma. Just tired."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Right." She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. Killian slumped against it, waiting for her to tap the door once she was in her nightclothes, so he could crawl into his bed and fall into well-earned dreams. His eyes practically weighed one thousand pounds by the time Emma's knock came, and he stumbled in, not even bothering to kick off his boots before he landed face down on his bunk, sinking into the bed like an anchor. A very sleepy, messy-haired anchor.

"Oh, Killian." Emma murmured, and he heard her cross the room to his side. He felt her working one of his boots off, then the next, and finally felt her pull the blanket over him, patting the back of his head. "Good night."

"Hhhf." He said through a mouthful of pillow. The blonde laughed lightly before crawling into her own bed, a smile on her face.

Emma stared at the ceiling, completely content. Though she had started out the day feeling rather gloomy, Killian and Liam managed to effortlessly cheer her up- as usual. With the Joneses, ever since Liam had promised things would change, she'd never felt alone or forgotten. They were her family, and she was theirs. _For always_. She thought, before surrendering her mind to sleep.

_Emma_. Killian blinked awake in the dark. He looked around. It was definitely night- the silver sliver of the moon, surrounded by the countless stars told him that much. But why was he awake? He hadn't woken up like this in years. After Emma stopped having nightmares all those years ago, he'd stopped needing to.

_Emma,_ something in his mind said again, and he turned his senses toward the other side of the small room, where the girl in question was shrouded in shadow. Then, he heard slight whimpering, followed by some thrashing. The tiny whimpers soon escalated to full-out cries, and Kilian instinctively leapt out of bed and grabbed her hand, ready to chase the night terrors out of her head, but still she cried and kicked with all of her might. "Please Emma," Killian whispered desperately, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up."

Apparently, she wasn't interested in taking his advice (typical), and continued to battle in her dreams.

"Oh, bloody hell." Killian muttered. He pushed her over in the tiny bed and crawled in next to her, trying to ignore the pain in his leg from where she was kicking him over and over. He wrapped his arms around her thrashing form, and waited for her movements to slow, until finally she stopped struggling and crying. She slowly relaxed into him as though it were the most natural thing for him to be there, trying to fit with her on the tiny cot. As he tried to pull away, she snuggled up against him- actual snuggling. This from the girl who had single-handedly beaten all the crew in a mock swordplay duel- twice.

Ignoring the shooting pain in his leg, the tingling in his arm that was falling asleep and the exhaustion that was draping itself over Killian like a heavy curtain, he let one thought flash itself in his mind before he reburied it, safely in the depths and curves of his memory. _I love her_.

It was always her, impossible, beautiful Emma. For him, it had never been anyone else. How could there be?

She sighed in her sleep, as if the nightmare had never happened, and he felt her breath, warm on their intertwined hands. Somewhere, something in the back of his mind told him to go back to his own bed, now that Emma was okay. Naturally, he ignored it, and fell asleep to the soothing rhythm of her breathing as they sailed through the night.

* * *

**Awww, Killy's in love! In this story, he's eighteen- about a year and a half older than Emma.**

**Question: Cupcakes or full cakes?**

**Remember, reviews give me warm and fuzzy feels (and give me incentive to add more fun stuff- like romance). You can leave a review whether you have an account on here or not! Isn't that great? Now you have no excuse not to!**

**BYENOW!**


	2. Ambrosia

**A/N: Hi, there! Chapter two is finally here, and I'm so sorry for the long wait. As you can expect, my summer's been rather busy, especially since it's the last month, which means I actually have to do my homework now. I'm listening to Sweet Caroline to make myself feel better :)**

**Wow, the response for this story has, like usual, made me fangirl over y'all. You all are just too sweet, and thank you so much for your reviews, faves and follows! I hope I can do this story justice! This chapter is sort of long and all over the place, which is partly due to my changing the outline halfway through the chapter. Oops.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

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Waking up was not among Emma Swan's favorite activities. Waking up meant leaving her dreams, which were usually nothing very exciting, but pleasant nonetheless. When she was younger, however, she got very little sleep, always being scared awake by her own nightmares. Sleep had been her enemy. Then Killian came into her world, and somehow, having him there chased away the monsters and left her dreams safe and sound. And because of that, she now detested the groggy feeling she had when she returned to consciousness from her dreams.

_Hmm._ This morning, she felt warmer than she'd expected. Normally, the autumn chill always managed to seep into their room and nip at her hands and feet, causing the girl to awake, shivering and chilled through, but this morning, Emma felt really, really warm. She smiled, snuggling into whatever was keeping her warm until she felt it. Him. Arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. Instantly, she stiffened, and rolled over to find a sleeping Killian Jones, curled up next to her, in her bed, as casual as could be. With a start, she sat up, drawing her covers around herself protectively- as if he were some sort of enemy who could be fended off by a few layers of cotton bedding, and not her best friend.

Killian began to stir, probably roused by the sudden chill he'd felt when Emma leapt away from him, and blinked sleepily for a few moments, before having the decency to look somewhat confused. Then his sleep-glazed gaze landed on Emma, and his eyes popped open wide, suddenly clear.

"Oh, gods, Emma, this isn't what- I mean, you probably think- Look, you were having a nightmare, okay? And I tried to calm you down, but you were kicking like a wild animal, so I did what I did when we were kids, I hugged you and you calmed down and I must have fallen asleep…" His anxious babble trailed off, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air for a few long, painful moments. "You haven't had such a nightmare in years, Emma." He finally said, his voice much quieter, filled with concern. "What on earth were you dreaming about?"

Emma opened her mouth to say what she had almost always told him, that it was nothing, just monsters, or falling from the sky, which it usually was, but then the memory of the nightmare slammed into her, full force, and she faltered a bit as the images filled her mind with stunning clarity, as if it were happing at that very moment, all over again.

_"You'll tell me how no matter what." A woman's cold, cruel voice filled the air, making the hairs on the back of Emma's neck prickle uncomfortably. She whirled to find its owner. The woman was beautiful in a terrifying way, darkness and power radiating off her being in heavy waves. Her outfit was no more pacifying than her demeanor. The dress was black as an abyss, hugging her curves from her breasts to her hips, and then simply falling to the floor, as though too exhausted to continue to conform to the rest of her body. The neckline, hem, and anything with an edge was embroidered with rubies the color of fresh blood. They were cut in such a way that Emma would have had a difficult time deciding whether this woman was actually injured and bleeding or not- had it not been for her angry, determined expression she wore under a mountain of ebony-colored hair (How much black could one person pull off?), which was twisted into an elaborate beehive of sorts. The woman flicked her hand, and vines sprang up from the cold stone floors, instantly wrapping around Emma, eager to constrict her, to choke the air from her lungs._

_"What do you want?" Emma cried, struggling in vain against her bonds, which in response only tightened. It was getting difficult to breathe- was this lady seriously trying to murder her?_

_The woman laughed mirthlessly. "You know _exactly_ what I want, Emma Swan." She sneered her name, as though it carried some sort of unwanted disease. "But if you need a little shove, I'll be more than happy to comply."_

_A corner of the shadowy room suddenly became illuminated, and there sat Killian. Emma would have been thrilled at the sight of her friend- had he not been bound and gagged. He looked awful, with deep purple bags under his eyes and the half-crazed look of someone who was, and had been, extremely terrified for a very long time. He tried to scream something, but the gag in his mouth was making that a rather impossible. Emma tried to move towards him, but her vine-prison kept her, quite literally, rooted to the spot. _

_"One last chance, Miss Swan," The woman taunted._

_Tears were streaming down her face as she continued to struggle, to get to Killian. "I don't know what you want!" Emma screamed, completely desperate. "Please, please let him go, let both of us go!"_

_The woman in black simply tsked. "Pity. I was so desperately hoping you could get out of this with your boyfriend," she said in a voice that made Emma doubt the sincerity of her words. "But, I have a feeling you and he will be leaving in a more… permanent way. Say goodbye." A ball of flame erupted in the woman's hand. Slowly, for dramatics, she turned toward Killian, whose eyes widened._

_"Killian!" Emma screamed, straining as hard as she could. The woman smiled, as if Emma's pain caused her great joy, and let the fire fly through the air. Just before the flame hit her best friend though, everything went black. And with that, her nightmare was over._

"Emma!" Emma blinked in surprise. Killian was shaking her shoulder, staring into her eyes. The terror in his own irises reflected that of her dreams', and she feared for a moment that she was still in that terrible, terrible nightmare. Then she heard the gentle wash of waves pushing up against the creaking wood of the ship and relaxed. She was safe.

Naturally, she said the first stupid thing that popped into her head. "Killian, your eyes are going to fall out if you keep them that wide."

He shook his head, not acknowledging her comment. "Emma, you went into this trance. For a few seconds, you just froze, and it was like you couldn't see or hear anything. Gods, you scared me." He breathed, pulling her into a rib-cracking hug.

She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around her best friend. The image of him, terrified and tied up seemed to be burned against her eyelids, and she spread her fingers across his back, as though to ensure he was really there, with her.

They stayed like that for a while, clinging to each other. Emma closed her eyes, listening to Killian's steady breathing, and was almost able to convince herself that it was just the two of them again, with no worries or cares in their world. But instead of the diverse, fragrant scent of dirt and wildflowers, she smelled wood and salt water. Instead of the buzz of insects and the songs of birds, all Emma could hear was the endless chatter of the water rushing past them, constant and steady. But Killian was there. And Killian was, to her at least,…

Emma was the first to pull away, feeling awkward all of a sudden. She glanced at her friend, and was surprised to see a bashful look on his face as well. She was sure her cheeks were just as red, but as to why, she wasn't quite sure. "So. Uhm. I'm okay now. I should probably change clothes now. They'll need us on deck soon."

Killian jumped up, out of her bed as though she'd shocked him. "Of course. I'll go." He practically scrambled out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

In a daze, Emma wandered over to the wardrobe, pulling out her clothes, light brown fitted pants, a white corset top covered with a white coat, and her black boots, and donned these items, and almost left the room before remembering her map. Today she was to choose their new destination. Her birthday present. She snatched up the paper, and opened the door to Killian a waiting. "Your turn." She said, looking down awkwardly. He cast her a smile before he slipped past her into the room, leaving her alone in the hallway with her thoughts.

_What is wrong with you?_ She asked herself. _This is _Killian_ for the gods' sakes! Do you want to ruin your only friendship by thinking about him like- like-_

Before she could figure out how exactly she was feeling, Killian stepped out of their room, all gussied up in his crew outfit. Whereas Emma spent her time either studying nautical mumbo-jumbo with Liam, or assisting the cook in the galley, Killian's days were spent pulling ropes, setting out sails, and basically running all the errands the older men didn't want to do. On occasion, when Emma would come up to the deck about midday to announce lunch, she'd see Liam and Killian at the helm, Killian's hands on the polished wood of the wheel with Liam watching his movements closely.

On this particular day, Emma planned to look over the maps with Liam and figure out where to go next. They'd dropped anchor the night before, and she didn't want to waste another moment of their precious "vacation time". She just hoped she would choose a place everyone would like.

"So," she started as they made their way towards the deck. "Are you going to help me choose where I'm going for my birthday present?" She glanced up at him, trying to gauge his answer before he said it. But when she looked at him, for a moment, it was like she was seeing him for the first time.

He still had that short, messy black hair that refused to stay in place and eyes that twinkled and sparkled like an ocean. He was tall now, almost a full head above her, and with his crew's outfit, he almost looked like any other member of the ship. Almost. His features, though strong, still had that youthful glow of a teenager, someone who wasn't quite a child, but also not yet an adult. Caught somewhere in between, innocent but weathered.

Then she blinked and he was Killian again, the person with whom she entrusted anything and everything. "No, I can't. They need me," Killian declined, and Emma raised her eyebrows, wondering if this had anything to do with they way they'd woken up. "I may or may not have made a bet about how drunk Will was going to get last night, and I may or may not have lost, so I might or might not have to be cleaning and gutting fish all morning." He smiled sheepishly at her before running over to a group of men holding up a slimy-looking bucket of fish. They waved to Emma, who rolled her eyes at their ridiculous antics before finding her way to the Captain's Quarters.

Liam was seated at his desk with his back to Emma when she entered the room. It was brightly lit by both candles and the large windows, looking out onto the sea. The sun cast a warm glow into the room, and Emma was reminded of why she liked this room so much. "Liam?" Emma called to him, and the older man turned to face her, smiling when his tired eyes landed on the girl.

"Good morning, Emma. Have you decided upon your destination?" He held out an apple to her as she crossed the room, her feet making slight padding noises on the warm floorboards as she stepped. She traded him her map for the apple, biting into it hungrily.

"No, we, uh," She forced a laugh, glancing away. "We both fell asleep almost instantly last night. I was hoping we could just quickly decide right now. I already have an idea of where I'd like to go." She added, when she saw Liam start to sigh.

He nodded, and without a word spread the map across the desk for them to see it in it's entirety. "Where do you wish to travel?"

Emma paused, and took a big bite of her apple to buy herself some time, letting her eyes graze across the sketches of ports and warnings of sea monsters and sirens in spots of the ocean. "There." She finally said, pointing to a big white dot in the west. "The White Kingdom. I've heard so many tales of danger and villainy that all come from the White Kingdom. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could go there?" She wasn't lying. In fact, she'd always dreamed of seeing the White Kingdom, thinking maybe someday she could battle a dragon herself, and come out victorious, covered in ashes, to the cheers of the people, thanking her for saving their lives.

Liam looked troubled. "Emma… The White Kingdom is the most dangerous kingdom in all the lands. I've no doubt you heard the tale of the Evil Queen that terrorized the people there for almost ten years before vanishing into thin air."

Emma nodded vigorously. "It's one of the most fascinating stories I've heard- wait, you're not saying that this actually happened, are you?" Liam nodded somberly. Emma gasped, a hand flying up to her mouth. "But they say she killed _thousands_! Thousands of families… Oh, gods." Stunned, Emma sat down heavily on a box. "All these years I thought she was just a nursery tale to scare naughty children. A cautionary tale to not upset your superiors or something of that sort. How could someone truly be filled with such directionless hate?" She implored Liam, eyes wide, innocent, scared.

Liam shook his head. "I know not. But Emma, I didn't tell you this to terrify you. Yes, things in the White Kingdom are still in disarray after all this time, but I'll keep my promise. We shall travel anywhere you desire. But I just want you to consider your safety."

Emma nodded, silent, and stood back up, looking hard at the map. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at a small black dot near the White Kingdom.

Liam's sad expression instantly morphed into one of happiness. "That is a mark I made myself. The small village of Ambrosia, where I grew up. You know, my father served on this very ship, first as a mere cabin boy, but quickly rose through the ranks, and was first mate when The Jewel of The Realm suffered some damages from a vicious storm. They docked there, and that was where my father met my mother," Liam's eyes became distant, but his smile grew, clearly fond of telling this story. "They fell in love at first sight. Their relationship was strange, with him being gone so often and for so long, but they did get married, and eventually had myself and Killian." He turned to face Emma, and she could see that he had become unhappy once more. "My mother- she was killed. By the Evil Queen. She went into the White Kingdom to visit with some family- her sister. By the time my father got word, she'd been dead for a month, and Killian and I were living with some neighbors who'd taken pity on us. My father, then Captain of this here ship, came to Ambrosia and took us with him. I haven't been back since. I do miss it." He blinked, clearing his eyes. "I apologize for my digression. This is your birthday present, not mine. Feel free to disregard all I've just said, Ems." He finished, using her old nickname affectionately.

Emma smiled lightly. trying to lift the mood. "Then let us go to Ambrosia. And no, I'm not saying this just because of what you just told me. If it is important to you, it's important to me, and to Killian, I assume. We're family, Liam. It's not too far out of the way, and I'd like to see where you two grew up." Liam protested a little more, but in the end, Emma won, and it was decided. As soon as she checked with Killian, they would set sail immediately. It was hardly a day's journey away- if the wind was in their favor.

She found him sitting on the steps leading up to the bow, stinking of fish and sweat, his hands still covered in fish innards. Emma wrinkled her nose as she sat next to him. "Hey, stinky."

He scooted closer, waving his slimy hand in her face. "Don't you just adore the scent of dead fish?"

Emma shoved his hand away, gagging and laughing at the same moment. "You're disgusting, Jones."

"Ah, you still love me."

He'd said it in a teasing tone, but Emma's heart rate still picked up. _What do I say? Does he mean it like _that_? What does _that_ even mean?_

Because the last thing she wanted was more of the same awkwardness from that morning, Emma simply stuck her tongue out him, earning a chuckle from her counterpart. "So, I've decided where I want to go."

Killian raised an eyebrow, interested. "Really? Let me guess- Arendalle. No, no- Andalasia! You've been talking about that place nonstop ever since you heard about that forest-dwelling girl who took down an ogre."

Emma sat up defensively. "It's fascinating, okay? But no, I- well, with the help of Liam, since _somebody_ lost a bet- decided to go to Ambrosia." She looked at him with uncertainty. When had it become that she couldn't predict his reaction before she even spoke, as she'd been able to do when they were young.

His face was impassive. "Ambrosia. Liam tells me we grew up there. I hardly remember anything before this ship, but he talks of it with great fondness." He nodded, and Emma let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I would like to see it. We're going there?" His tone, formerly thoughtful, had taken on a boyish, hopeful note. Emma nodded eagerly, her hair bouncing along with her movements.

"Yes! We're to leave now after we speak. In fact-"

"Oi! Lazy bums! Get o'er here an' help me with tha rigging!" Matthew called, his accent as thick as his arms. Matthew, who used to be so tiny, had grown up into the strongest and cleverest of all the others on board, his smarts surpassing even those of their captain. He was also rather fond of Emma and Killian, having befriended them early on in his time as cabin boy. He'd moved through the ranks throughout the years and was well on his way to becoming lieutenant any day now.

Emma and Killian leapt up in unison and hurried off to assist raising the anchor and setting sail for Ambrosia. Soon, they were off, and Emma was quick to finish coiling the last of the rope. Looking around, the girl realized there was nothing more to be done, and decided spent the rest of the day practicing swordplay with Killian, Matthew and Will- and enjoyed beating them almost every time.

"You're getting better than me!" William exclaimed as the sun began to set, panting. He'd originally instructed Emma and Killian in the art of swordfighting when the pair had been on board for a couple of years, insisting it was an important skill. Liam had been hesitant, but after much begging and pleading from Killian, Emma _and_ Will, he finally agreed. Now, Emma had just knocked his sword out of his hand and was currently standing with her own sword tip pointed at his throat. She grinned proudly and sheathed her blade.

"No, you're just getting old." Emma teased, and handed the older man his own weapon back. "Now, who dares go against the fearsome Emma Swan?" She challenged the other two men in a fake deep voice, but they both declined.

"You nearly gave me an unnecessary haircut five minutes ago!" Killian protested, touching his beloved locks protectively.

Emma and Matthew both snorted at the same time. "Please. 'Desperately necessary haircut' is more appropriate. Your hair grows faster than mine!" The young girl goaded, tossing her own locks back as she spoke.

Before Killian could fire back, a voice sounded from the crow's nest. "Land-ho!"

Killian and Emma exchanged a split-second glance, and them in unison ran to the crow's nest, scrambling up the net like a pair of squirrels.

Once at the top, Killian whipped out his telescope- a gift from Emma- and squinted through it. "I can't see much, but that right there is definitely the White Kingdom." He finally said, pointing straight ahead.

"Let me see!" she urged impatiently. After a little more wheedling, Killian finally handed over the object, and she stared through it. A thrill coursed through her as her eye landed on the tall white spires of a castle, far in the distance, but unmistakably there. As she stood there, the wind began to pick up, gathering her hair and flinging it around, across her face, over her head- and accidentally into Killian's mouth. Emma lowered the telescope and stared at the warm, inviting colors sunset, gripping the sides of the nest. She didn't know how, but somehow, she knew. Her big adventure was coming, and it was coming soon. And it would change her life forever.

* * *

***Cue inspiring music*! Aww, Emma, you're so conflicted with your emotions.**

**Question: What is your absolute favorite type of music?**

**If you have questions or want clarification for anything, leave me a review or a PM, and I promise to reply! :)**

**~ Did you know that every time you leave a review, a baby giggles, a unicorn is born, and a fairy earns its wings? Cuz they totally do. ~**

**BYENOW!**


	3. Leave

**A/N: Well, it's certainly been a while, hasn't it? How're you? School has been crazy! I hope you like this chapter- and with this, I'm back on track with my outline! Yayy! I'll try to update more regularly, but three AP classes and theatre tends to take up a majority of my time. I hope you enjoy this chapter, along with the rest of the things I have planned for them!**

**Thank you so, so much for your favorites, follows and kind reviews! I can't tell you how much they mean to me (Which is a lot). You guys are the reason I keep writing this!**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

The next morning was practically overflowing with excitement- and not just from Emma and Liam. The entire crew was thrilled to have the next few days off. As Killian popped into the galley to grab some breakfast, he heard Will say to a small group, "And just think of all the restaurants. We can eat something that isn't fish, or salted and dried." Murmurs of agreement passed through the men, and Killian felt the corners of his mouth tug up. As much as he disliked being away from the sea, he had to admit he was excited about seeing his former home, though he remembered nothing of it. If it was important to Liam, it was important to him.

"Hey, fish-boy!" Emma called from outside the galley. "Get a move on, or we're leaving without you!" Will caught Killian's eye and mouthed something that made him flush redder than the strawberry he was about to eat.

"Stop it, Will. You know it's not like that." He mumbled before hurrying out, the laughter or the other men chasing after him.

Emma was dressed for a day out. She wore a slim, emerald green dress that hardly crushed the floor, and the fabric matched her eyes perfectly. Her hair was pulled to one side, and tied up to that it was out of her eyes. The silver swan charm dangled from her neck and glittered in the morning sun. Killian smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Stop it, I know I look stupid." she tugged at the hem of her dress. "Liam made me take down the hem. Something about short dresses and good form." She rolled her eyes, but then turned to her friend with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'll find another way to be rebellious, just you wait."

The raven-haired boy snorted. Though Emma had her rebellious moments, she wasn't one to disobey Liam. She looked up to him as if he were her real father, and all three of them were as close as family. It wasn't even a question in his mind of their connections anymore- they were all together, and always would be.

"All right, then, off we go," He declared, holding out his arm to her. She hesitated, but then chose to accept it, wrapping her fingers lightly around his forearm, and together they stepped off the ship and into the small town.

There wasn't much to look at. In most of the ports they docked at, everyone was bustling about, all busy with their own lives and duties and activities. Ambrosia was nothing like that. There were a few town inhabitants milling about, but for the most part, the tiny port was practically empty. Killian and Emma walked along what appeared to be the main street- it was the only road not paved with dirt. The worn, old cobblestones looked tired- if pieces of rock had feelings, Killian mused. The buildings, while also a bit run down and old, were much more pleasant to look at. Cheery red brick, or light grey stone buildings lined the streets. Emma paused and turned to Killian.

"Should we wait for Liam?" She asked, glancing back at the ship, looking larger than ever, taking up more than it's fair share of the dock. Killian followed her gaze.

"I think Liam got off first thing this morning." He replied. He hadn't seen his brother in his quarters nor on deck. "We can walk around the town, and perhaps we'll run into him." Emma nodded, though he sensed she was worried. "Why were you wondering?"

She started walking, and he followed her, waiting patiently for the answer. "We're back in your old village, where he says you experienced a lot of good times, but also pain, and I don't know- well, you two probably shouldn't be handling it on your own. You have me," She bumped her shoulder against her friend's for good measure. "But Liam should have us. Don't you think?" She glanced up at him.

He pursed his lips. "I think… I think Liam might want to process this on his own at first. Like you said, there are a lot of feelings he has for this place, and not all of them are good. If he's out looking for our old home, we might want to leave him be for a little bit, to process. To think, you know? Until then…" Killian let his eyes scan the practically empty little street. They finally landed on a large building across the road, made of the same grey stone as it's neighbors, but a sign in the window caught his eye. "I believe we should have a proper, hot breakfast. What say you?"

Emma cocked an eyebrow, and Killian gestured toward the establishment. "Granny's Bed and Breakfast?" Her tone was skeptical.

He grinned. "Yes, emphasis on breakfast. A nice, warm, not-salt-water-flavored breakfast. Let's go."

"Wouldn't it be nice to have a nice, warm, not-salt-water-flavored breakfast every morning?" Emma asked him. Killian blinked. What a strange question.

"I suppose. Unfortunately, living on a ship does tend to make that dream rather impossible." He chuckled, and Emma fainly smiled, but he could already tell she was a thousand miles away in her head- probably thinking about all the warm breakfasts she loved.

They entered the building, and were greeted by a relatively small number of patrons, just a few couples or families eating, talking quietly with each other. It was a quiet, large room, broken up by a counter in the back, and many different, mismatched tables and chairs set up strategically around the space, trying to give the room the appearance of it being bigger than it actually was. "Good morning!" A perky young woman in a red dress greeted the pair, bustling toward them. "Welcome to Granny's Bed and Breakfast! Can I help you with anything?"

Emma blinked, offset by the brunette's sudden appearance, like an explosion of perky, red sunshine, but luckily Killian was not. He flashed her a bright smile and said "Why, yes. Could we have a table for two, please?"

"Of course, follow me. I'm Ruby, by the way, I'll be your server." The girl turned and led the pair toward a small table by the long, wide window where the sign Killian had seen was posted. "Just the two of you?"

"Yes. My brother's around here somewhere, but I don't believe he'll be joining us." Killian replied, brilliant smile on his face. This girl was pretty, yes- but she was nothing like Emma, he could already tell.

Emma smirked "Yeah, because he's intimidated by your and my ability to down a stack of pancakes in less time than it takes to climb up to the crow's nest.

Ruby laughed. "If you don't mind my saying this, you two make such a lovely couple."

Before Killian could say anything, Emma jumped in quickly. "Oh, no, we're not a couple. Just friends. Best friends." The words came out rushed, insistent- and like knived pointed at Killians heart. He glanced down quickly.

Ruby lifted a pencil-thin eyebrow. "Could've fooled me. Here are your menus- I'll be back in a minute to take your orders."

The woman sashayed away, and the pair took their seats, both of their faces bright red, made even more obvious by the sunlight filtering in through the window. "Well," Killian finally said, glancing up at Emma, who was staring out at the street. "What do you want for breakfast? I was thinking-"

"We don't look like a couple, right?" Emma interrupted, her eyes wide. "I mean, we're not… you know?"

Now it was his turn to glance away. "No, I'm sure not. She was just being quite forward." His words fell away as soon as they reached her ears, and for the first time in a long time, the pair was faced with an awkward silence. The noisy clattering of dishes and quiet murmurs of other conversations attempted to fill the void left by their silence, but nothing could compensate for their former, amiable chatter. Killian thought of all the things he wanted to say but couldn't. They'd never get across this abyss of silence to her ears, anyway.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ruby wove her way over to them again, bright smile still on her face, easy and agreeable. "Sorry that took so long- we're a bit shorthanded here."

Killian scanned the restaurant, and realized with a jolt that she was right. In fact, there appeared to be no other servers other than the woman in front of him. "Is it just you working?"

Ruby blew out an exasperated breath, though Killian got the feeling the exasperation wasn't aimed at him. "_Yes_. I mean, my Granny helps out, but usually she's helping the customers in the Inn part of the building. I never to do anything other that work here and run errands."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying you need help?"

Killian whipped his head toward her, sensing where this was going. "Emma, no."

"Killian, kindly shush. Ruby, if you're hiring, I'd be more than happy to work here."

If the circumstances had been different, Killian might have poked fun at Ruby's surprised face, but he had a feeling his face mirrored that- though his was more horrified than her hopeful one. "Emma, what are you saying?" he hissed, shaking his head. "What do you even mean?"

Emma bit her lip, suddenly looking bashful. "I've been- I was thinking about maybe leaving the Jewel of the Ream- not forever!" She insisted, grabbing Killian's hand urgently when his jaw dropped. He ignored both her gaze and the electric feel of her palm against his, slender, soft fingers against his rough ones. "Just for a little while," Her voice turned soft, pleading. "I'm seventeen, now. We've seen the world. Now I want to know what it's like to live in one place, have something normal for a change."

Now he did look at her, incredulous. "Normal? Emma, there's no such thing as normal!" He was struggling to keep his swirling emotions in check. _Leave?_ Just up and leave, out of nowhere? "Emma, I thought you were happy with us." _With me_.

"I was- I am! You're my only family, and you mean everything to me. But I want to see if there's more to life than the next place, the next realm. I want to find something more. I want…" She trailed off, her eyes flicking around nervously. Killian recognized that face. Her fight-or-flight face. She hadn't used that one in years. He gripped her hand tighter. _No, _he told her with his grip. _You can't just run from this._

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two. Killian had completely forgotten she was there. "I'm gonna go. If you want to talk more about the job," She nodded toward the back of the room, "Just let me know." And with that, the girl in red was gone.

Killian turned to face Emma again, his hands in fists, covering up with the lurking feeling of despair with anger. "Emma, what the bloody hell?"

She winced. Killian never swore- especially not at her. "I told you," She said in a deadly, infuriatingly calm voice. "I want to see what normal's like. It's my life, Killian."

"But what about me?" He burst out, emotions bursting through the thin layer of control he'd been trying to hide them in. "_You're_ my- You're part of my life. Emma, you and I-" He got choked up, and Emma looked down, guilty. Pained. "We're us, Emma. We saved each other when we needed it most," He forced each word out, like it physically pained him. Because deep down, he knew. He knew, no matter what, this would end in a goodbye. "Emma, I need you. It's selfish, but true. I need you, Emma. Why would you just leave us?"

She was crying now, silently, salty, clear tears streaking down her face. She took a shuddering breath. "I can't explain it, Killian, I just know that I have to go. Please," She stood up, still holding his hand, and walked over to him. "You know me better than anyone else. You have to know how much I want this."

He did. He saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice, felt it in her palm. And as much as he hated it, he understood her in ways that simple words couldn't explain. He looked away bitterly. "I know." He muttered. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

"Killian-"

"I need to clear my head. Excuse me." He dropped her hand and made his way for the door, doing his best to not completely break down as he left.

_Emma_. Infuriating Emma. Beautiful Emma. Impossible Emma. He thought she was his Emma, but apparently he'd been wrong. Of course, he knew she was never anyone's, per se. She wasn't property, she was her own person. But still. They shared something, something even he couldn't explain. Best friends didn't cover it. Love wasn't exactly confirmed. Their relationship wasn't exactly something that was easy to define, but it was deep and meaningful and important to him.

Liam would have the answers. Liam could convince her to stay.

She had to. Because Killian knew if she left, something inside of him would break, and he wasn't sure if anything could ever repair it.

**_Surprise! Poor Killian. And Emma.**

**Question: Where the heck did the line button go? I'm using underscores instead.**

**I'll do my best to update soon. Remember, reviews make the heart grow fonder. So do winky smiley faces ;)**

**BYENOW!**


	4. Release

**A/N: I have a good excuse for not updating. Wanna hear it? Turns out, my hard drive on my laptop was overloaded, so it crashed. I never had any reason to back it up, so when I had to wipe the hard drive, I lost everything on it. Including this story (I use Pages because Google Drive hates me and the feeling is mutual). So I now have to play a little catch-up. Which includes rewriting my outline. Yikes!**

**On a lighter note, ONCE UPON A TIME IS BACK TONIGHT! HOLLA! In honor of this momentous occasion, I decided to crank out this new chapter instead of doing things like homework, exercise (jk), or catching up on SNL. Confession: I wrote half of this on the back of my chemistry notes. Thank god my lab partner didn't ask what it was.**

**Thank you for your patience, and I hope you like this chapter, because after this, everything changes.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

"Killian!" Emma called again, her voice raw and scratchy. He'd run out of the restaurant almost thirty minutes ago. Emma had spent twenty-nine of them trying to find him. She'd tried to reason with herself, _He's not mad, just confused. He'll understand. He has to._ But she didn't feel any better. The one person she trusted more than anyone had just run out on her. That would make anyone a little nervous.

Emma turned down an unused-looking dirt road to take a moment to breathe. She surveyed the path ahead of her. Lush green-turning-red trees arched over her head, reminding her that autumn was not waiting a moment longer to make an appearence. Down the road were some old-looking little shacks, set up next to each other. Towering weeds, practically four feet tall, dominated the area, taking up every space available. A brave few had even sprung up among the footpath, though they had the beat-up look of something that was trampled over frequently. _A neighborhood._ Emma realized, stepping forward. Maybe she could ask someone if they'd seen a distressed, teenage boy run by, cursing about her. Before she even reached a door, though, she saw movement. Killian. Instinctively, she leapt into the weeds, and then cursed herself. She'd just spent a half an hour looking for him. Why was she hiding?

Without an answer, she still stayed in her place, close to the ground, until she figured he couldn't see her anymore. Why would he head down this path? She wondered, and decided to follow him, staying in the tall grasses and weeds, and hoping she was mostly invisible.

She found him- no, she found _them_ standing side-by-side with their backs to her, facing a sorry-looking, run-down wooden cabin. As with all the homes, weeds had taken over the entire swath of land surrounding it (which was not much), and a few plants had taken root on the wooden slats of the building. Emma crept along the row of little cabins across the path from the brothers, trying to keep herself hidden, and feeling ridiculous in the process. This was _Killian_ for crying out loud! Killian and Liam, who had taken her in and made her part of their family- made her feel loved. And now she was trying to leave them.

_But it's not like that,_ she insisted to herself. _You're not trying to leave _them_. You're supposed to be here_. From the moment she'd set foot in Ambrosia, Emma had had a little voice whispering in her ear _"Stay, stay, stay." _ To be honest, she was quite annoyed with it now, as the voice was high pitched and nasal-sounding, but also knew it wouldn't go away unless she did that very thing. Stay in Ambrosia. And that was exactly what she would do. She just hoped Liam and Killian would be able to understand.

Emma continued to slip around and behind the shacks, all of which, she noted, seemed to be abandoned. Some wore in worse shape than others, many of them in more disrepair than the one Liam and Killian were standing in front of, with rotting walls and caved-in roofs. Others, however, looked fine, as though they were keeping themselves together for their no-longer-there tenants, patiently waiting for someone to use them again. Emma'd never realized how depressing deserted houses could be- but if she was being honest, she'd never given them much thought in the first place. She was so distracted by the decrepit homes, she forgot to watch where she was stepping, and managed to trip over the hem of her dress, falling on the ground face-first in the most ungraceful way.

"Ow," She murmured, along with another few choice words aimed at the fabric as she slowly peeled herself and her dignity off the ground. The dress did not reply. "Let down the hem my arse." She muttered, bunching up the fabric, and pulling is away from her feet.

Finally, she got close enough to hear what the two men were saying. She pressed her back against the rotting wall of the nearest cabin, cursing Liam for making her wear such a cumbersome outfit, hoping they wouldn't be able to see her and her now mud-stained gown.

"I wish I could remember any of this, Liam," Killian's voice, thick with pain, jerked her back to the mission at hand. "You're so fond of it, I can tell. I'm sorry." He truly sounded guilty, as though it were his own fault that he couldn't remember his early years.

"It's funny," Liam sounded pensive, as though he weren't talking to Killian, but rather sending his words out to anyone who could hear, "The most important time of our lives- the first few years- are the ones we can never remember. We may have flashes of certain senses; the sound of a mother's lullaby, the smell of freshly baked muffins, or the feel of our blanket, but we can never fully remember our days of pure innocence, when we never had an unkind thought to anyone. And those are the days that matter most."

Emma blinked hard. What she wouldn't give to have her own memories, to know who her real parents were. Killian must have been thinking similarly, because he stayed silent, still searching in the crumbling remains of his past life for something that would trigger him into remembering his past, his mother, _anything_ besides his life at sea.

"Where's Emma?" Liam's voice was still soft, but now more confused than mournful. "You two are never without each other. What's wrong?"

Damned is he wasn't the most insightful one of them all. Killian sighed. "Emma and I… We had a fight. A real one."

"Oh?" The captain sounded genuinely surprised, as if it never even occurred to him that the pair _could _have a real fight, something that went farther than _If you don't give back that cookie right now I swear to the gods…_

"It was completely out of nowhere!" Killian exclaimed, frustration seeping into his voice, and Emma shrank back, pressing herself even harder against the rotting wall, a fresh wave of guilt washing over her, sharp and stinging. "One moment we're joking around, the next… She just says she wants to leave. Leave me, leave us, to stay in this place," He made a sweeping gesture towards the rest of the town. "I don't get it."

Silence. Then, "Then let her go."

Killian turned sharply towards his big brother. "I beg your pardon?"

Liam turned as well. "It's her life. It's not as though she's a prisoner of ours, and she's old enough to make her own choices."

Killian simply gawked at him as if his brother had just suggested they give up cookies. For life.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."

"But… But… I mean, I know she's not our prisoner," He fumbled for words. "But she's family. I…" He trailed off again, and Emma squeezed her eyes shut tight, as if the darkness her lids provided could make this all go away. Her hand flew to the silver swan necklace. _Family._ The voice, the guilt… Basically everything since her birthday, when she decided to go to Ambrosia. If she had just chosen some other land, that Ireland place Liam was always talking about-

"You have to tell her," Liam's voice broke through her thoughts, and she realized she had stopped listening to them, lost in her own world. "Luckily enough, she's here now. Come on out, Emma."

Emma stiffened. How had he known? She was hardly visible to the passing gaze, and she'd barely made a sound, save for when she'd tripped.

"It's all right, I knew you'd find us." Liam coaxed. "You always do."

The blonde girl sighed and peeled herself from her hiding spot. "Was I really that loud?" She complained, trying to sound nonchalant, when all she wanted to do was break down. Again. Gods, she was being weak.

Liam chuckled while Killian looked stricken. "Not really. I had a feeling you'd come looking for him, and your little fall in the grass just confirmed it." He stepped forward, and she immediately stepped back. "Relax. Your face is covered in dirt." From his jacket pocket, Liam produced a handkerchief, and proceeded to wipe her face off like he used to when she and Killian were little, and would get into squirming tousles on land. _You two would never stay clean if you lived on land._ He'd say. _Thank goodness we call our home the sea._

"I'm fine, Liam." She protested, squirming to get away from the handkerchief, but he wasn't going to let her go that easily. He continued to wipe at her face until all of the dirt had been sufficiently transferred from her face to the cloth, and Killian was cracking a smile. "There. Happy?" She asked, sarcastically gesturing to her clean face.

Liam smiled proudly. "Very much so." His features then conformed onto a more serious expression, and Emma knew what was coming next. "Now, about this whole leaving thing… Why?"

_Why, indeed_. Emma agreed silently, but she knew she needed to come up with something better than that. "I just… I've lived almost my entire life at sea-"

"Eleven years," Killian piped up, "Is not your entire life."

She ignored him and continued. "And now that I'm older, I just want- I _need_ to know what a normal life is like. Something inside of me, either in my head or my heart, is telling me to stay, and… I think I should listen to it. I wouldn't leave forever, just for a short while. Maybe it's stupid, but it's my life. I decide. Right?" She looked into Liam's eyes for conformation, either encouragement or anger, but found nothing other than acceptance. A breeze swept through the abandoned little village, and Emma shivered as the cool air sent an ominous chill through her entire body.

"I don't want you to be unhappy, Emma. If staying in Ambrosia is what you wish, I give you my permission." He looked sad, but he still wasn't angry. He rarely ever got angry with them. _Probably because he thinks you'll run off_, a new voice, and accusatory one, whispered in her mind. _And you do run. You always run._

"Thank you." She replied, meaning it. Liam smiled at her, but she had a feeling he wasn't seeing _her_, but rather the little girl he'd met eleven year ago, the one too scared to trust anyone, who thought the only answer was to run. Emma looked away.

Killian placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to face her best friend. "I'll leave you two alone." Liam said, backing up towards the town. "I heard Widow Lucas's restaurant is still open, and I am dying for a taste of her cooking again." And with that, the young people were alone. The silence was only broken by the wind whistling harshly though the trees, reaffirming autumn was officially arriving.

Emma shivered, and Killian held his arm out to her. She wound her arms around him, breathing him his familiar scent, and the pair stood like that for a while, clinging to each other, fighting inside, trying to find a way of figure this out.

It was Emma who stepped away first. "Killian, I-"

He looked down, reaching up to scratch his right ear. "Please, Swan, don't. Don't say it. Don't do it."

The sun was shining, but its light didn't feel warm. In fact, it felt cold, and harsh. As if the weather were reacting to their moods. Emma took another step back. As if saying it from a distance would cushion the blow. "I need to go. I'll come back. I could never leave you forever." She tried for a smile, but had a sneaking suspicion she looked more constipated than comforting. "You'd be lost without me. Who else could beat you at, well, everything?"

Killian shoved his fingers through his (_soft, soft_) raven-colored hair. "But why now? Why not two months ago? Why not a few years from now?" He stepped closer and she stepped back. Being close would just make in harder. Being able to see into his eyes, to smell him, to smell home, would just make it hurt more.

"I don't know." She answered as honestly as she could. "I really don't."

With nothing more to say, she turned, and started to make her way back to town, no real destination in mind.

"I love you!" He blurted desperately. Emma turned quickly, eyes wide. Silently demanding if he'd meant it. If she'd heard him correctly. Of course he'd meant it. He'd said this to her before, many a time, but it had always been a safe, friendly kind of "I love you." Never had it been this desperate, this pained, as if telling her physically hurt him. "I love you, and I need you. Gods, I need you like I need air, Emma. You're my sun, by moon, my best friend. Without you, I'm not me. I can't imagine going anywhere without you next to me, teasing, poking, or just straight whooping my arse at swordplay. Please. It may be selfish, but I can't help myself. I don't want to live without you."

During his speech, she had moved closer to him; tentatively at first, then more relaxed. He sighed in relief as she reached him. This was _Emma_. She wasn't going to just up and leave her life. She took his hand tenderly, and he breathed deeply, drinking in every little detail of her, from the flecks of gold in her rich, mossy green eyes, to her soft, soft hands, squeezing his calloused ones. A smile flickered on her face, just a hint to the glowing fire he knew she held inside.

"I can't live without you either," She whispered, and he released a tightly held breath, the knots inside his stomach loosening. "But I have to try." And with that, she pressed a faint, butterfly soft kiss to his cheek, and backed away slowly, holding on to his fingers until he was too far away to reach. She let go of him, furthering the distance between them as he stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed, with his head throbbing and heart pounding as he processed what just happened. And he was completely certain his whole world had just collapsed.

**Oops, things just got a bit sad...**

**Question: Where did the button that does the line-thingy go? Those of you who write on here know what I mean. I'd like it back, please.**

**Other question: How do you feel about the premiere of Season 4? Let me know in the reviews, because reviews make my heart sing like an opera.**

**BYENOW!**


	5. Without You

**A/N: Note to self: Never again sign up for a play with a 2-week rehearsal schedule ever again. Also, never let your hard drive crash and not back up any of your files (read: outline for this story). Because both things happened and I'm not happy. (well, the play was fine, but still.) I ****_do_**** have a gift for you. A Captain Swan fanvid of my very own. Link in my profile :)**

**Anyway, things in this chapter really start to pick up!**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

Emma walked away, waiting for Killian to follow her. A twisted part of her _wanted_ him to, wanted him to want her. "Stupid," She muttered to herself, not hearing any sound other than her own footsteps. "You leave him in the middle of the road, what do you _expect_ him to do?"

The sunlight was still too bright, still too cold. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and trudged on, tidal waves of guilt crashing into her and making each step heavier and more difficult. She stumbled into Granny's, nearly crashing into Liam who was seated right next to the door. "Oh, sorry, Liam." She apologized quickly. She then realized how monotonous those words had sounded and added, "I didn't see you there. I mean, it's a really weird place to put a table and I think I ruined Killian and my friendship but I think he ruined it too so I don't know who to blame. How are you?"

Liam blinked, processing her words. "Uhm… Alright. Sit down, and start from the beginning."

So she did. She told him about the nagging feeling she'd had, and what Killian had said to her once they were alone. She flushed a bit at this part, but thankfully Liam didn't laugh or tease her. He just listened.

When she was finished, he sat back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face. "So that's how my brother feels."

"Or felt. He probably hates me now." Emma buried her face in her hands, unwilling to meet Liam's eyes.

"Emma." She heard the fatherly tone in Liam's voice, and peeked through her fingers at him. "I've raised both you and Killian to be smart young adults. Do you really think he hates you?"

She slowly pulled her hands away from her face, but kept her eyes cast downward. "I don't know anymore. I can't even understand why I'm leaving. Not really anyway. And if I don't understand, how could Killian ever get it?"

She felt Liam grasp her hands lightly, and looked up to see a sympathetic look on his face. "Do you remember one of your first few nights on The Jewel?"

Emma nodded.

"Well, then you know that I would always put you and Killian in separate beds at night, and every morning, I'd find the both of you in your cot together. Well, one night I decided to investigate. You know what I saw?"

"I can guess." She mumbled, but Liam silenced her with a look.

"Hush now, I'm trying to give you a pep talk. Anyway, I saw you cry out in your sleep, and I realized you were having a nightmare, but before I could do anything, my brother was up, out of his bed, and climbing into yours. The moment he grabbed your hand, you calmed down. Killian always knows when you need him. And vice versa."

"I know when he needs me because he usually runs around hollering my name until I appear." She muttered, though Liam's story had made her feel a little better.

Liam cocked his eyebrow at her. "The time he fell off the crow's nest he didn't holler, but you were there in a flash, and didn't leave his side for a week. Every time I yelled at him for goodness knows what, you'd always appear, ready to comfort him. Face it, you both know when you need each other."

"But why, then-"

"And I know when you both need your space. Eleven years is an awfully long time to spend every waking moment with, Emma. And yes, I know you don't spend "every moment with him"" He added, using air quotes, "But you two are almost too dependent on each other. And as your only guardian, I think it would do the both of you good to have a little space. I agree with what you said earlier. You need to know a life beyond this ship. You need friends who aren't sailors and crewmen, and I'm so sorry I couldn't provide that for you. You've always been so happy with us. I guess I never though you needed anything more."

Emma blinked, hard. She wanted to say something, _anything_ to make this better, but she found her mind blank. She looked away again, twisting her face. Here she was, leaving the only family she's ever known, and Liam was _apologizing,_ as though it were his fault somehow. what do you say to that?

He squeezed her hands. "It's alright." He said, as though he were reading her mind. "You're always going to be in our family, no matter where you are. That's one of the great things about a family. No matter how far we go, not matter what country or realm we travel to, we're never too far from your heart."

That's when she let out a sob, flew out of her chair, and hugged Liam with all of her might.

The next day zoomed by Emma in a flash. There were things to pack, and things to move, rooms to move into and waitressing to learn, Killians to try and talk to, and Killians to be ignored by.

"He hasn't talked to me at all." Emma whispered to Will that night, watching him from across the ship. "Every time I try and talk to him, he acts like I'm not there, and leaves."

"Well, you did kind of break the poor lad's heart."

"I didn't know!"

"He told you and you walked away. Not a strong start to a relationship."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're useless."

He bumped her shoulder. "Well, you won't have to put up with me too much longer." His tone was light, but Emma caught the underlying message easily. She tore her eyes off of Killian and leveled the first mate with her death glare.

"Something you want to say, Will?" she asked, her voice like steel.

The older man shrugged, looking unfazed by her stare. He was, of course, the one she used it on the most. Anyone who puts a limit on the amount of chocolate chip cookies she could have was worthy of her death glare. "It's not just Killian and Liam you're leaving. It's all of us. You're part of everyone's lives on here, and now we're all gonna be one person short. There'll be an empty seat at the table we'll have to look at. There'll be a sad Killian moping around, with no one able to cheer him up quite like you can. What I'm trying to say is this: You'll be missed. By all of us." On that cheery note, he stood up, pressed something into her hand, and made his way inside. Emma looked at her palms and found a chocolate chip cookie sitting there.

"Oh, Will." She murmured. The girl glanced up to find Killian still standing at the front of the ship, looking at the stars. She made one of her famous snap decisions and walked over to him. "Hey," She said, placing her arms on the railing, mirroring his position. Killian said nothing. "Look, I know you're really mad, and you're got every right to be. But I need my best friend, now more than ever." She broke the cookie in half and placed it on the wood between them. "I need you to tell me you won't forget me. I need you to say you'll forgive me someday. I need you to tell me to stop rhyming because I suck at poetry." She laughed a little. "I need you to say a lot of things. But you wont say anything to me. You won't even look at me! Earlier, you said you were being selfish, because you needed me, but I need you too. Please. Just be my best friend for one more night."

The crash of waves on the shore, though near, sounded muted, as though she were hearing them through a glass door. The silence between them was the loudest noise she'd ever heard, and it was growing stronger. Emma was turning around to leave and wallow in self-pity by herself when she felt him catch her hand and pull her into his arms. She immediately melted into him, burying her head in the crook of his neck, hugging him tightly. Killian held her, warm, wonderful Killian, who managed to forgive her even after all of this. Then she heard the crunching noise. Emma pulled away to find him munching on his half of the cookie. "ss rWlly oof"

She smiled. "I know it's good. I think Will made it."

He swallowed the bite. "Yum."

They stood there together for a bit longer, looking out at the sea. The silence between them was no longer a hostile, empty void, but the noise of two friends who had no more secrets or animosity between them. Just being in each others presence was enough.

Finally, Emma let out a huge yawn that would scare even the fiercest pirate. "C'mon," She urged, pulling on Killian's hand. "Let's go to bed." He obliged, and they went through their evening routine, something so easy and habitual, they didn't even have to think about it.

_"Killian!" Emma screamed. Suddenly, the vines exploded outwards, and without thinking, she launched herself across the room, plowing into the woman in black at full force. Caught completely off guard, the woman collapsed under Emma's weight, flailing and writhing under her, the unused fireball extinguished. Before she even knew what she was doing, Emma had a knee on the woman's stomach and her hands around her throat. "_Never_ touch him again!" She screamed at the woman, tightening her grip. The woman in black just smirked and vanished into purple smoke. Emma collapsed on the ground._

_Killian kicked again, still struggling against his bonds. Emma ran over to him, ripping off the gag. "Emma! Emma, you're okay. You are, right?" He demanded, looking her over for injuries. _

_She scoffed. "You're the one being held captive."_

_"No, Emma, she said I was just a distraction. She said she needed to get you away from some kingdom in order to "get revenge." Do you think she means-?"_

_"Emma!" Ruby ran in, tying on a red hood, with a man in green coming up behind her. "She made it past our defenses, I'm sorry. But you've got to come quickly, or she'll kill everyone!"_

That morning, enthusiasm on the ship was hard to find. Will had a perpetual frown, and Matthew was nearly in tears as Emma stepped off the ship. "Oh, stop being such a baby. I'll be back." She teased, but he either didn't hear her or didn't care. Liam made a _Go, before this gets any worse_ face, and she, Killian, and Liam made their way back into Ambrosia.

Granny, however, was thrilled- or so Liam said. To Emma, she seemed put off. "You can start tomorrow. Don't get in anyone's way." was her warm greeting.

Liam cleared his throat awkwardly. "She grows on you, I swear."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Right." She looked at the brothers, suddenly feeling quite awkward. "Well, I guess this is it."

Killian laughed, which made Emma smile. "We'll only be gone a couple of months. And who knows? Maybe we'll steal you back."

Emma stepped forward and hugged the both of them, and action that was becoming increasingly easy to perform. "I'll miss you two. Don't get into too much trouble."

The Jones brothers exchanged grins. "We'll try." Killian promised.

"Be good." Liam advised. "And polite. You're a guest here, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. And eat your vegetables!"

"Would you like to make a list?"

Liam fixed her with an exasperated look. "Just promise me you'll behave properly.

"Of course, of course. You raised me, after all. I know nothing but good form. Now go, before I change my mind and follow you."

As if he had been waiting for that exact moment, a short little bearded man ran into the diner yelling "She's coming! She's coming back!"

Granny stormed out into the diner, looking more menacing than usual. "Who's here, dwarf?"

"The Evil Queen, you old lady!"

Granny immediately paled. "You don't mean-"

"I do. Now come on, we've sounded the alarm, we've got to get everyone into hiding."

Granny ran behind the counter, and Emma watched in confusion as she kicked aside a rug and tossed open a trapdoor. "Everyone inside! Go, go, go!"

Emma felt a sharp pain in the back of her leg and turned around to see that the dwarf had kicked her. "That means you, sunshine. Go."

"No, not until someone tells me what's going on. Liam, will you please explain?" She turned to find her guardian with a pained expression on his face, as if he, too, had been kicked by a dwarf.

"Emma, he's right. Gods, my men are on board. If she hurts them… I knew we should never have come here. There was a reason-" He cut himself off and turned to Emma and Killian. "Go, get into the shelter. I've got to warn the men. GO!" And with that, he turned and ran for the docks. Emma ran outside, too.

"What do you mean?" She yelled after him. Killian grabbed her hand.

"Come on, let's get inside."

"No, not until someone tells me what the hell is happening!"

"I'll tell you what's happening." The voice, female, and strong, sent a chill down Emma's spine. She turned around, and looked up to find a tall, regal looking woman glaring down at her. "I'm looking for the child of Snow White. Anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts will be greatly rewarded. Now," The woman leaned closer, and Emma instinctively leaned away. "Do _you_ know where she is?"

**Told you, stuff's happening!**

**Question: Who else is PISSED at Rumple for last night's episode, and who thinks he should see/feel all the pain and suffering he's caused to each person he's manipulated and lied to? He has to face the consequences of that at some point! (I'm still emotional)**

**Question 2: Chocolate chip cookie or other?**

**BYENOW!**


	6. Better Together

**A/N: Howdy, y'all! (Wow. I swear I didn't think that would be as awkward to type as it was). Hope you all are ready, because here's where things are gonna get angsty. A million times thanks to .love for beta-ing this chapter- if I could give you cookies, I absolutely would.**

**Thanks for all of your super-sweet reviews- they make me smile like an idiot (the-art-of-escape is the bae). Seriously- my friends think I'm crazy.**

**Enjoy!**

**~Caitlyn**

* * *

"Do you know where she is?" the woman demanded, her dark eyes flashing maliciously.

"Lady, what the hell are you talking about? I don't even know you!" Emma retorted before she could catch herself. The moment the words slipped from her lips, the young girl mentally kicked herself. This woman was tall, royal looking, with an elegant red dress and-

Emma's eyes widened as her inner monologue faltered. The woman from her nightmares was standing right in front of her, bright as day. Emma stumbled back another step, crashing into Killian. She managed to keep from yelping in surprise, but her heart was racing and her legs were shaking so badly she was amazed she was still standing.

The nightmare woman straightened up indignantly. "Is that any way to talk to your Queen?"

Emma opened her mouth, but this time, words wouldn't come. "I assure you, she meant no disrespect, Your Majesty," Killian swooped in, casually wrapping an arm around Emma's waist. To anyone else, the gesture would have looked like a simple, romantic move, but Emma leaned into him, grateful for the support. Once again, he knew what she needed when she needed him the gods, she thought.

The Queen turned up her nose. "I knew the peasants of this land were dumb. I just didn't realize how truly stupid you happened to be." She shot another distasteful glance at Emma, as though the girl was a disgusting piece of trash left out on the street. "Even so, make another slip of the tongue like that again, and you won't be seeing anything but a dungeon for the rest of your life."

Emma managed to find her voice again, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty." She hurriedly added a curtsy for good measure.

The Queen rolled her eyes, clearly finished with Emma. "Now get out of my way, I need to address everyone in this one horse town. And by that, I mean everyone!" On the last word, she pointed at the cobblestones in front of Granny's little inn. Before Emma could even blink, all of the people who had been hiding underground appeared in that very spot, huddled in a small circle. Their faces went from terrified to confused and back again. The Queen chuckled, a sound so humorless and devoid of any mirth or happiness the Emma felt a chill run down her spine, a feeling that was only enhanced by the sharp wind blowing through the village square. "You really think a little basement hideout could keep you hidden from me? Please." The Queen sneered at them.

"You all know something about this missing girl, and I need to know what it is. You have three days to tell me, and if you don't, if you continue to assist the former bandit, Snow White, in hiding her child? You shall all pay dearly." Her voice was sharp and clear, cutting though the crisp morning air like a sharp knife.

Emma hadn't realized she was clutching Killian's waist in fear until the Queen turned away, glided into her carriage, and rode away, all of her knights following closely. Finally, Emma was able to breathe again. Embarrassed, she composed herself, twisting gently out of Killian's grasp, and made her way over to the villagers. The group was a mess. Some were weeping, others angry. Emma pushed her way into the middle of the crowd where Granny and Ruby appeared to be having an intense discussion with a few dwarves.

"We should just take her out when she least expects it!" Emma heard one of the dwarves insist as she got within earshot of them. "Have some of our best archers in place, and-"

"And possibly get them killed?" Granny cut in, her already curt way of speech holding an added skeptical tone. "Grumpy, you know that's not how things work. That lady has protection spells out her royal wazoo. If anyone within the same mile as her even reaches for a knife, they get roasted. I've seen it happen." The old woman caught sight of Emma and nodded to her in greeting. "I see our new employee has met the lovely Queen."

Emma nodded. "Yes, she's… She's definitely something."

One of the dwarves snorted. "She's a nightmare come true."

You have no idea, Emma kept this thought to herself, and instead asked: "Who is this girl the Queen was talking about?"

Granny raised her eyebrows at the young blonde. "Did you father- er, guardian, that is - teach you nothing about our kingdom? The king and queen of our kingdom, the White Kingdom, had a child about seventeen years ago. Not a day after she was born, the girl went missing. Everyone suspected the Evil Queen, that ray of sunshine you just met, to be the the kidnapper, as she's hated our queen, Snow White, for many years. However, as you can see, the other queen is also in search of this lost princess, though many of us suspect this is for more nefarious purposes. In recent years, she's become more and more persistent and delusional, destroying entire villages if she even thinks they know about the lost princess. And it looks like we're next." Grief etched deeper lines into the old woman's face, and she leaned against the stone wall of the small inn, clutching her head.

Ruby had also lost her bubbly demeanor. "We have nothing beyond this town. We have nowhere to run, or hide, nor do we know anything about this lost princess. That witch will stop at nothing to get that girl. We have no other options than to just sit here like ducks and die."

Emma watched as all around her, resignation seemed to fall upon the faces of each villager in the square. She couldn't believe her eyes; all of these people were just giving up, letting the Evil Queen win? "No," she found herself saying. "You won't have to go anywhere. I'm not letting some queen destroy this town with no reason."

Granny gave a single laugh, a shrill, sarcastic noise. "Right. And how do you think you'll do that? Go talk to the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin? Make a deal? Been there, done that. He doesn't want to help us. We have nothing of value to give him. We're out of luck, and out of options."

The frigid wind whipped through the square, causing many villagers to remember themselves, scurrying indoors, but Emma stayed where she was, pushing her tangled blonde locks away from her face. "What the hell is a Dark One?"

Granny opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Emma felt someone grab her arm, and turned to see Liam, looking breathless, checking Emma and Killian over for wounds. "You're both alright. Thank the gods." He looked around at the practically deserted town center, then at Granny. "What happened?" He demanded, though he didn't sound angry. He just sounded tired, and frightened.

"Her Royal Highness, the Evil Queen, found us in our hideout- it was like she could see through the ground or something. Emma and her friend here didn't make it down in time, and frankly, it's a miracle they're still alive."

Liam stared at his two charges, ten different emotions competing for dominance over his face. Worry, anger and confusion were just a few. "I'm glad you two are alright," he finally said, letting relief win. The captain turned back to Granny. "What did the Queen want?"

The old woman shrugged, a frown deepening the lines on her haggard face. "What she always does. The lost princess."

Killian cleared his throat. "Emma has brilliantly offered to somehow stop the Queen, but I'm curious to know how she intends to do that."

That hit Emma like a punch to the gut. Not a moment ago, Killian was supporting her, and now he was turning against her? Again? Her cheeks burned in embarrassment as Liam slowly turned his piercing gaze towards her, eyebrows raised incredulously.

"I figured…" Emma paused, her mind racing. Why had she offered to save this village? She was no warrior, she was just a teenage girl with a sword and a whole lot of sass. Granny said they had tried everything. Even… "I figured I'd go and make a deal with the Dark One," she declared, forcing her voice to stay steady. Anyone with the name "Dark One" probably wouldn't be much fun to have a chat with, but certainly he couldn't be much worse than the Queen. Right?

Liam shot a look at Granny, as if to ask, "Is she serious?"

Granny just shrugged and turned to go inside. "If she manages to save us all, I'll give her a raise," she called over her shoulder before the door banged shut behind her.

Liam turned back to Emma, his angry-dad face very clear on his features. "Emma. You are not running off to gods-know-where to make a deal with the Dark One." He said the name like it were a disgusting infectious disease, one he wanted nothing to do with. "Do you even know who he is? What he's done? That - that thing is not a man. He makes horrible deals with people, taking their most valuable, treasured items from them, and in return gives practically nothing. I don't want to see you - or anyone - paying the price to save this town!" He was practically shouting now, and a small part of Emma was secretly grateful the streets were empty, because this was super embarrassing.

Emma glanced desperately at Killian but he just shrugged. You're on your own for this one, he seemed to be saying.

Fine. She straightened up, put on the poker face Will had taught her to use (though he had sworn her to secrecy - poker was not part of what Liam liked to call "Good form"), and said in her most strong, convincing voice, "I am going to talk to him. I will convince him to save this village - your village - and whatever the price is, I will pay it. And you will not stop me."

For a moment, Liam looked confused. "Of course. You can go," he said. But it didn't seem to be Liam who was speaking. His eyes were distant and unfocused. His normally straight and rigid posture was suddenly gone, replaced by a loose, slouchy stance. Killian looked confused, glancing between Emma and Liam, trying to figure out the reason for this sudden change in his brother. The air was silent, the two young people anxiously awaiting a response from their elder. No such thing came about. Liam continued to stand in that strange, loose way and stared at Emma blankly, not even blinking.

"Emma?" Killian asked warily, slowly stepping toward her, as though she were an unstable bomb, about to explode at any second. "What have you done?"

Emma shook her head, perplexed. "I have no idea." Her voice came out small and scared, nothing like the proud, commanding tone she had used a moment earlier. "Liam," She walked up to her guardian. "Liam, snap out of it." She insisted, practically begging. He didn't move. "Liam." She commanded forcefully. "Snap out of it. Now."

As if struck by lightning, the captain jolted upright, causing Emma to jump three feet in the air and shriek in surprise. "Wha-" He shook his head vigorously, not unlike a dog shaking water from its coat. But when he looked up again, his eyes were clear, and he was standing normally once more, though he did look confused and a bit scared- a look Emma had rarely seen him wear. "What happened?" he asked, his voice weak.

Emma and Killian exchanged worried glances "We're not entirely sure," Emma began nervously, lacing her fingers together. She explained his strange change in posture and his sudden agreement to her desire to see the Dark One.

Liam stood there listening, silent the entire time, his forehead creased, and Emma could practically see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out a sensible explanation for what had just happened.

However, it was Killian who gave the answer. "Charmspeak," he murmured, staring at Emma as though he were seeing her for the first time, and her face burned hot once again. "You used magic, Emma."

Emma blinked. Then she scoffed. "Right. Because I have magic. In other news, Liam has decided to give up sailing and become a ballerina. Honestly, Killian, what are you thinking?" She turned to Liam for support, but found him staring at Emma the same way Killian was. Like he didn't even recognize her. "Oh, you have got to be joking!" she cried at the two of them. "I'm just me, Emma, the orphaned girl you took in to your family! I'm nothing special, I'm just a teenage girl, and I certainly don't have any magic."

Killian stepped forward and grasped both of her small hands in his rough, calloused ones. "Emma, you don't remember anything about your past," he said slowly, in an obnoxiously placating tone. Emma tried to pull out of his grasp, but he squeezed her hands, not ready to let go. "You could be the daughter of the most powerful sorceresses in the lands for all we know. You just made Liam do… that thing, and let's not forget the time you convinced that baker-"

"Killian!" She hissed, cutting him off, glancing nervously at Liam. "Now is not the time." No way she was going to let Liam hear about the time that baker had willingly given Emma and Killian free cookies just because Emma asked nicely. She could not risk getting grounded right now.

Liam frowned. "Is there something I need to know?"

"No." The pair answered in perfect unison, an action so common and effortless, none of them even thought it strange. Emma realized Killian was still holding her hands and let go of them quickly, taking another step back from the Jones brothers for good measure.

"Anyway," Emma said, "The point is I'm going to see this "Dark One" all by my magic-less self, and I'm going so save Ambrosia from certain destruction. You can say yea or you can say nay. Either way, I'm going."

Liam slumped again, and for a moment Emma worried that he had fallen back into that strange trance again, but when he looked up at her, instead of a blank stare on his face, his eyes seemed to be harboring an ocean of sadness, a wave just about to break. "Go on, then," he murmured. "I'm not your father. I can't tell you how to live your life." He reached out as if to embrace her, and then appeared to think better of it, and dropped his hands to his sides. "Just promise me you'll be safe. Promise me you'll come back… alive." He turned away, hurrying into Granny's.

Emma stared after him, more confused now than ever. "What did he mean, 'alive'?" she asked Killian without looking at him.

She heard him move closer to her, and this time, she didn't pull away when he pulled her into his arms. She rested her chin on his shoulder, grateful once again for his support. "I don't know, Love, but I do know that I agree with my brother." He pulled back, looking her in the eye. "Come back to us alive."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Duh. I can't have you wandering around the lands without my guidance. You'd be lost without me."

"More like you'd be lost without me," he tried to tease back, but the joke came out flat and sad.

Emma forced a smile. "Exactly. I'll be fine. It can't be too difficult." She squeezed his arm. "I'll be back before you know it. Now, come on. I need some supplies- and a map. Hopefully Granny has some on hand." She linked her arms with his and pulled him inside.

"Sure, because the map to the Dark One's evil lair is certainly laying around somewhere."

While Emma buzzed around the restaurant, simultaneously collecting supplies and waiting tables ("I'm not giving her that stuff for free, and she's got to start somewhere."), Killian sat in a small booth by himself, wallowing, trying to control the emotions that were relentlessly crashing around in his head, wave after wave. Anger, then sadness, then worry, and back to anger. He closed his eyes and set his head down on the table, the wood cool on his overheated head.

"Ahoy, there, brother!" Killian head Liam slide into the seat opposite of him, but said nothing. "Now, now," Liam chided. "Don't be that way."

Killian groaned miserably. "What other way is there to be? My best friend is going off on her own to make a deal with a dark sorcerer. Before that, she was about to ditch us to be a waitress here. I don't understand- It's like she'll do anything to get away from me- I mean, from us."

His brother nodded sagely. "Ah, yes. I wondered when that would come up."

"What do you mean?"

"Emma going off on her own. You are going to go with her, aren't you?" Liam asked this as though this were a fact he wanted verified.

"I- I couldn't- I'm not going with her!" Killian spluttered. "If you hadn't realized, she doesn't want me."

This elicited an exhausted sigh from Liam, faintly audible through the din of clattering plates and quiet chatter from other customers. "Of course you're going with her. You two have hardly spent a day apart since you met."

"But-"

Liam held up his hand. "Hush, now, I'm giving you a pep talk. You probably don't remember this, but when Dad left, you became different. You stopped eating, you wouldn't laugh at anything, and most of the time, you stayed in your cabin, crying. When I found you and Emma, and she came to live with us, you completely changed. You were happy again, and every time you see her, even now, you light up just a little brighter. And she does the same. You're better when you're together, Killian, and you both know it."

Killian shook his head, his bangs flopping in his face. Liam grimaced at this, and Killian could tell it was taking all of his brother's willpower not to reach across the table and give him a buzz cut. That almost made him smile. "Maybe. But with this magic stuff... I feel like I don't know her at all. How could she never have known? I feel as though there's this whole other side to Emma that I don't even know!"

"And that's why you need to go with her." Liam said, his tone serious. "Think of how scared she is. You said it yourself; she's going alone to make a deal with a dark sorcerer. She just discovered she might have magic, and doesn't know how to control it. In the midst of all this, her best friend is angry at her. Now I don't know a lot about young women, but I imagine this one must be terrified." Liam leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, and dropped his voice so only Killian could hear his next words. "I meant it when I said I want her to come back alive. Because if you lose her, I know I'll lose you. And I can't lose you- not again." For the second time that day, Killian got a glimpse at how broken Liam really was, and even more importantly, he saw how much Emma and Killian's love affected him, how much stronger it made him.

"Alright," Killian murmured. "I'll go with her. We'll keep each other safe- I promise. We'll come back to you."

* * *

**WHO'S READY FOR AN ADVENTURE? KILLY AND EMMA!**

**Question: If magic always comes with a price, what's the price for each of Regina's fireballs? Because if gets cold in my house, and I would love some instantaneous heat once and a while**

**BYENOW!**


End file.
